NDA’s Deer Season 365

Would you love to take your deer and habitat management knowledge to the next level? On this week's Deer Season 365 podcast episode, we're talking with NDA's Conservation Coordinator, Ben Westfall, about the various online and in-person educational courses offered by the National Deer Association. Ben covers each course in detail, highlighting what they entail, the instructors, the requirements, a...

In this week's Deer Season 365 podcast episode, we're talking with Dr. James Johnson of the University of Georgia about his extensive trail-camera research looking at baited vs non-baited trail camera setups, the important data you can collect from your cameras, and how to put that information to use to improve your odds of success this fall. If you love to run trail cams, this episode is for you!...

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we're talking with Andrew Maxwell of The Southern Outdoorsmen podcast all about map scouting. Andrew dives into the various tools he uses to scout a new hunting property, what features he's looking for, and how to make the most of the information available to you. We also dive into what Andrew has learned from interviewing hundreds of highly successf...

In part two of our Food Plot Masterclass, we are once again talking with Mark Turner of the University of Tennessee about food plots. Mark discusses species selection, annuals vs. perennials, understanding seed labels, summer vs fall plots, weed control, and much more. If you love planting food plots or have an interest in planting them, this is one you don't want to miss. If you haven't already,...

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we're talking with Dr. Luke Macaulay, a wildlife management specialist with the University of Maryland, about his research on forage soybeans. And while the primary focus of Luke’s research is on determining which forage soybean varieties work best as a buffer to minimize deer damage to production soybeans, much of what he’s learned is applicable to...

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we’re talking with Mike Muthersbaugh and Alex Jensen, who are both researchers and Ph. D. candidates at Clemson University, about the large-scale fawn and coyote research project they've been working on. We do a deep dive into what they’ve learned along the way, including what doe and fawn behavior leads to increased risk of predation, what habitat c...

If you’re a food plotter, or just interested in learning more about food plots, then you're going to love this week’s episode. We’re talking with Mark Turner, who's seeking his doctoral degree researching food plots at the University of Tennessee, about all things food plot preparation — from site selection to soil tests, soil amendments, weed control, planting techniques, and much more. Mark gets...

In this episode, we're talking with Luke Resop of Mississippi State University about prescribed fire. More specifically, we're discussing the pros and cons of growing season burns, as well as considerations and expectations for burning in the spring and summer. Luke shares a wealth of knowledge based on research he's been involved with at MSU. This is a must-listen episode for any of you intereste...

In this week's Deer Season 365 podcast episode, we're talking with Kip Adams about NDA's recently released 2023 Deer Report. Kip hits the highlights of the state-by-state harvest data, including buck and doe harvest, the age structure of the harvest, deer harvest by weapon type, and much more. We also dive into a few of the many current issues facing deer hunting that are covered in the report. If...

On this week's episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we're talking with professional wildlife photographer Tes Jolly of Alabama. Tes discusses how she developed her passion for hunting and wildlife photography, what being a professional wildlife photographer entails, as well as some equipment and technique tips for aspiring photographers. If you've ever considered trying your hand at wildlife ph...

This week we talk with a relatively new deer hunter, Augusto Zimmermann. Augusto is from Brazil and didn't grow up with a hunting background. After moving to Georgia after college, he stumbled on NDA's Field to Fork program and was able to quickly foster a passion for hunting and the outdoors. Augusto shares the process and challenges of learning to deer hunt as an adult, what he learned from Fiel...

For decades feral hogs have been expanding their range, creating ecological havoc wherever they show up. Efforts to reduce or eradicate them from the landscape have been largely unsuccessful. However, there is one state that seems to be having some success in the war against feral hogs — Missouri. In this episode, we're talking with Alan Leary, the Wildlife Management Coordinator for the Missouri...

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we're talking with wildlife biologist Jason Sumners about the science behind the odd whitetail rut timing in the Southeastern U.S. Jason studied the impact of deer relocations during 20th-century deer restocking efforts on rut timing while at Mississippi State University, and shares those findings in an easy-to-understand way with our listeners. Jaso...

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we talk with Parker McDonald of the Southern Ground Hunting podcast and YouTube channel. Parker dives into how the Deep South differs from other states he's hunted, how he uses water access to kill public land bucks, his experience hunting with Mark Kenyon, and much more!  Important Links: Sponsored by: First Lite apparel Southern Ground Hunting YouT...

On this week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode, we're once again talking with Zack Vucurevich of Whetstone Habitat LLC about habitat projects you can start planning or working on as soon as deer season wraps up. We discuss forest stand improvement, prescribed fire, food plots, management plans, and more. If you love improving habitat and working the land, this episode is for you! Important Links:...

On this week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode, we're talking with Clint Campbell of the Truth From the Stand podcast about his strategies for finding and killing post-rut bucks. We also dive into Clint's background, and his idea of venison diplomacy to introduce non-hunters to the hunting lifestyle.  Important Links: Sponsored by: Mission Crossbows Clint's Truth From the Stand podcast Follow Clin...

On this week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode, we're talking with NDA's Matt Ross about deer herd management. Matt explains the art and science behind harvesting the right number of bucks and does on a property to meet your goals and objectives for the property. We also discuss NDA's new public land initiative. Regardless of whether you own a big farm, a few acres, or just hunt public land, there...

In this week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode, we're talking with Dr. Bronson Strickland of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab about the individuality of whitetail bucks. While we often report the averages when it comes to deer habits and behaviors, it's important to acknowledge the outliers in our hunting strategy. We dive into buck home ranges and core areas, excursions, bedding habits,...

With deer season open across most of the country, we thought it would be a great time to have NDA's Chief Conservation Officer, Kip Adams, bust some of the common deer hunting and deer management myths. We discuss shot placement, if weather or the moon influences deer movement, cull bucks, rut timing, and much more. If you're a deer hunter who loves to learn more about deer and their habits, this...

Get your notepad and a pen handy, because you'll want to take notes on this one! We're talking with the Hunting Beast Dan Infalt about how he consistently kills big, mature bucks on heavily pressured public lands. Dan dives into locating and hunting bedding areas, getting away from hunting pressure, and how to play the wind to avoid getting busted. Dan also shares the craziest thing he's ever done...

In this week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode, we're talking with Dr. Martin Bucknavage of Penn State University's Department of Food Science about handling a harvested deer from field to fork to keep your venison safe and delicious, particularly in warm weather situations. We even dive into the pros and cons of aging venison, safe jerky preparation, and the benefits of canning venison. This is a...

This week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode will get you fired up for deer season! We're talking with Michael Perry of Alabama about his 195-inch Alabama muzzleloader buck from last season, as well as his scouting and hunting techniques that allow him to consistently kill big, mature bucks on tough public lands.  Important Links: Sponsored by: HHA Sports Michael's 'That's Wild Hunting' YouTube Cha...

In this week's Deer Season 365 Podcast episode we're talking with Greg Godfrey of Tethrd about all things saddle hunting. We dive into what situations favor saddle hunting, what equipment you need to get started, best methods for climbing the tree, getting comfortable in the saddle, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of saddle hunting. Even if you've never considered saddle hunting, the dis...

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 Podcast, we're talking with Zach Ferenbaugh of The Hunting Public. Zach dives into summer scouting, and why he no longer spends a lot of time on it, followed by his in-season scouting strategy, which is where he now puts most of his focus. We also discuss his transition to a mobile ground hunter. Zach shares a ton of great information and breaks down numerous...

In this week's episode of the Deer Season 365 Podcast, we're talking with Dr. Mark Ruder of the University of Georgia and Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) about all things Hemorrhagic disease. We dive into the difference between EHD and bluetongue, what causes the disease, how it impacts local deer populations, new varieties that are appearing, and what we as hunters and lan...